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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State has just two weeks left before National Signing Day on Dec. 4, and the race to the most important day on the recruiting calendar will be frenzied. With a matchup against No.
5 Indiana, Michigan and potentially a rematch with No. 1 Oregon on the horizon, the Buckeyes will also have to put together the 2025 class. So where do things stand? Here’s a look at what’s on deck, and in the class: Note: All rankings are per the 247Sports composite.
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3 QB) Targets: None Ohio State should feel great about where things stand at quarterback. St. Clair is locked into the class for the Buckeyes, and there’s not any worry about where things are headed.
He’s going to come to Columbus in the next two months with some big time expectations. Running back (2) Commits: Bo Jackson (No. 95 OVR, No.
5 RB), Isaiah West (No. 680 OVR, No. 49 RB) Targets: Anthony Rogers (No.
147 OVR, No. 8 RB) Ohio State’s first recruiting class under new position coach Carlos Locklyn appears to be a big success. The Buckeyes need to revamp the running back depth chart in a hurry, considering TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are both likely to be gone next season.
But there’s reason to believe they’ve done that. Keep an eye on Rogers, who just decommitted from Alabama. At 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, he could be the versatile piece of an Ohio State offense that doesn’t have anyone of his skillset.
The Buckeyes have long been after his commitment. Wide receiver (4) Commits: Quincy Porter (No. 55 OVR, No.
9 WR), Phillip Bell (No. 219 OVR, No. 27 WR), De’zie Jones (No.
336 OVR, No. 49 WR), Bodpegn Miller (No. 353 OVR, No.
17 WR) Targets: None Ohio State went into the cycle wanting four receivers, and that’s exactly what receivers coach Brian Hartline has done. The Buckeyes’ receiver room needed some additions, and that’s what they’ve done. Porter is a big-receiver with a great catch radius, while Bell figures to be a player that can move around.
Jones looks to fill the slot position, with Miller operating as a project — he’s currently the quarterback for Ontario High School in Mansfield — with elite height and speed. Don’t expect much movement here until Dec. 4.
Tight end (2) Commits: Nate Roberts (No. 155 OVR, No. 8 TE), Brody Lennon (No.
324 OVR, No. 15 TE) Targets: None Another solid class for Ohio State at tight end, the Buckeyes have gotten some nice versatility. Roberts is one of the best tight ends in the country, and was the top target for them at the position.
The once Notre Dame commit fits the mold of a prototypical tight end. Lennon, on the other hand, might be able to be used in a bit more versatile ways — in an H-Back type of role. Offensive line (3) Commits: Carter Lowe (No.
58 OVR, No. 8 OT), Jayvon McFaden (No. 389 OVR, No.
25 IOL), Jake Cook (No. 454 OVR, No. 31 IOL) Targets: Damola Ajidahun (No.
258 OVR, No. 25 OT), Micah DeBose (No. 174 OVR, No.
17 OT) Ah, the position of much frustration for Ohio State fans. The Buckeyes have just three offensive line commits as of Nov. 20, and that’s a number they’d like to add to over the next few weeks.
Lowe is one of the best tackles in the country, while Cook — a projected center at Ohio State — is a prospect that they hope can continue to improve when he gets to campus. But then, things get dicey. Ohio State will likely have to fight to hold onto McFadden until signing day, and it’s an uphill battle for both flipping Ajidahun and DeBose from Georgia Tech and Alabama, respectively.
The former seems more likely to land than the latter, but it’s not just the Buckeyes that are working on flipping those prospects. The Buckeyes landing just three offensive line commits in a class that likely wanted five isn’t a success by any standard. That’s a position that is — rightly — a concern headed into the end of November.
Defensive line (5) Commits: Zion Grady (No. 74 OVR, No. 5 edge), London Merritt (No.
139 OVR, No. 12 DL), Jarquez Carter (No. 274 OVR, No.
28 DL), Maxwell Roy (No. 295 OVR, No. 31 DL), Trajen Odom (No.
360 OVR, No. 37 DL) Targets: Jahkeem Stewart (No. 14 OVR, No.
3 DL), Malik Autry (No. 93 OVR, No. 12 DL) This is a unique position for Ohio State heading into the home stretch of the 2025 class.
The Buckeyes have a really solid class, even with the decommitment of four-star edge rusher Zahir Mathis this week. Even if Mathis does end up elsewhere — his recruitment is simply re-opened for now — it’s still a class that is worthwhile. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson will have maybe the busiest job of any position coach on the recruiting trail over the next few weeks.
Not only does he have to hang onto Carter, Merritt and other commits that are being recruited elsewhere, he’s after Stewart, the five-star who recently reclassified from the 2026 class to 2025. Then there’s Auburn commit Malik Autry, who Ohio State is expected to have on campus for the Michigan game. There’s a lot that can go right for the Buckeyes over the next two weeks on the defensive line, but there’s also a lot that can go haywire for the unit.
Keep an eye here. Linebacker (3) Commits: Riley Pettijohn (No. 37 OVR, No.
2 LB), Tarvos “T.J.” Alford (No.
106 OVR, No. 11 LB), Eli Lee (No. 495 OVR, No.
49 LB) Targets: None Ohio State’s linebacking class is a solid one from James Laurinaitis, who has pulled Pettijohn out of Texas and Alford out of Florida. Keeping Alford in the class, though, will be a major challenge. The talented Floridian is being recruited heavily by a variety of schools in the Sunshine State, specifically Miami.
If he flips anywhere, expect it to be to the Hurricanes. But even if that happens, the class is still solid with Pettijohn and Lee. Cornerback (2) Commits: Devin Sanchez (No.
6 OVR, No. 1 CB), Na’eem Offord (No. 11 OVR, No.
3 CB) Targets: Jordyn Woods (No. 1266 OVR, No. 116 CB) Ohio State’s cornerback class is fascinating.
Sanchez has shutdown his commitment and will be a Buckeye in just a few short weeks. He’s a player the staff is very, very high on. Offord, on the other hand, is a unique case.
He’s taken visits to Oregon, LSU, Auburn and Florida in the last few weeks, and is seemingly still shopping around. Does that mean he’s a guaranteed departure from Ohio State’s class? Absolutely not. But it’s notable considering he committed to Ohio State in February, and is still being recruited by so many programs.
His visit for the Michigan game on Nov. 30 is expected to be massive, considering it’s just a few days before he puts pen to paper on his National Letter of Intent. If Offord does pledge elsewhere, and even if he doesn’t, the Buckeyes have a third option in Woods, who is currently a Cincinnati commit.
He’s expected on campus this weekend for a visit. At 6-foot-3, he’s got all the physical tools in the world, and that’s clearly something cornerbacks coach Tim Walton has honed in on. If Ohio State pushes for a commitment this weekend, or afterward, Woods might make the flip from Cincinnati.
Safety (3) Commits: Faheem Delane (No. 44 OVR, No. 3 S), DeShawn Stewart (No.
390 OVR, No. 38 S), Cody Haddad (No. 420, No.
26 ATH) Targets: None This is another class that should be signed, sealed and delivered on National Signing Day(s) without much worry. The Buckeyes got the commitment of Delane over the summer, which was a big-time addition to the room. Then Stewart, who plays cornerback for his high school team, is expected to make the switch to the back-end in college.
Then there’s Haddad, who flipped from Wisconsin back in April to play for the home state Buckeyes. Ohio State’s safety room is going to undergo some massive changes in the next year or so, and this is a solid class to build depth and eventual starting talent out of the room..
